Team Members

Adi Krief, an accomplished architect and passionate marine restoration project manager. Adi holds a degree from Tel Aviv University and is recognized as an independent architect and researcher at the Technion. Their research focuses on exploring the synergy between nature and architecture, seeking to create sustainable and harmonious spaces. With a profound understanding of cross-functional collaboration, market research, and consumer insights, Adi has successfully led start-ups and managed product development with a data-driven approach.

Khory Hancock, an environmental and sustainability expert with over 11 years of industry experience, possesses a profound understanding of safety, quality, and environmental management systems. His diverse expertise spans sectors such as mining, infrastructure, construction, carbon farming, and climate change strategies. Khory's tenure as an Environmental Superintendent and Team Leader at Rio Tinto saw him oversee environmental compliance in Weipa mine operations, ensuring ongoing adherence to regulations and safety protocols. He successfully implemented erosion and sediment control planning and managed Weipa's inaugural fishway monitoring project.

Wendy Allard's profound affinity for water extends beyond the realms of aquatics; it's a lifelong passion. With a career spanning over two decades, Wendy has not only been a dedicated swim instructor since 1996 but has also made significant contributions to aquatic education across various institutions. Committed to the pursuit of excellence, Wendy has also obtained a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment from Inspire Education, underlining her dedication to passing on her wealth of knowledge. Additionally, she holds a CPR and First Aid license, ensuring her preparedness to handle any situation, be it in the water or on land.

Fritzie, possesses a strong academic foundation with an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Her unwavering passion for environmental stewardship compelled her to pursue a master's degree in environmental science, reflecting her dedication to sustainability and responsible environmental management. With over a decade of hands-on experience, Fritzie has become a seasoned professional in environmental impact assessment, environmental management and monitoring and Sustainability. Her expertise spans both the public and private sectors.

Cherry Lyn Jalover-Par is a licensed Environmental Planner and diver, from the province of Palawan. She is a graduate of BS Environmental Science from Palawan State University. Being in the conservation and sustainable development work for more than 10 years, led ger to get involved with various conservation initiatives both on presentation of environmental management concepts, facilitation of conservation management planning and its field applications, as well as doing information and education campaigns.

Yankaleh Peretz joined Israel's aquaculture sector before his military service. Starting in 1983, he worked with fish farmers at the Fisheries Research Station of the Ministry of Agriculture. Following his studies, he became a consultant for the Ministry's Training and Professional Services Division, actively promoting water agriculture development in desert regions like the Arava and Negev Highlands. Yankaleh founded an edible fish cultivation course at Michmoret Marine College, managed fish farming rehabilitation in Serbia for three years, and specializes in both freshwater and marine fish farming. He runs his own laboratory, focusing on edible seaweed, ecological fish farming, and circular economy initiatives.

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For the past 10 years at Envirotech education, Shelly Bengiat has been dedicated to finding real solutions to protect our ocean and land. Inspired by Amos Gazit, her journey led her to Indigenous communities worldwide, where she discovered that the key to conservation lies in the hands of those who have safeguarded nature for generations.

Shelly realized that for conservation to succeed, it must be economically sustainable. Indigenous communities must not only be empowered to protect their environment but also be given the funding, training, and resources to build thriving Blue Economy businesses that align with their traditions and way of life.

To make this vision a reality, Shelly created a comprehensive support system that enables communities to:

✅ Access training in marine conservation, business development, and sustainable practices
✅ Secure funding to launch and sustain locally-led environmental projects
✅ Develop successful businesses that protect and restore the natural world
✅ Leverage technology to enhance conservation efforts and drive economic growth

Her mission is clear: Indigenous communities should be the primary stakeholders in conservation and the rising Blue Economy.

By equipping them with the tools to succeed, Shelly is ensuring that the future of ocean and land protection is led by those who know them best.

"Real change can only come when fairness, economy, and sustainability work together." – Shelly Bengiat

Amit Benita is a music educator, the founder of Music-Flows (an online intuitive music school), and a composer, producer and recording artist with over 1.18 million streams across releases on international labels in Berlin, Italy and Nashville.

Amit is deeply passionate about languages and cultures. He is fluent in Hebrew, English and Spanish, and speaks some Lingala, Amharic and Fang. For three years he lived across Africa — learning music from, and making music with, African musicians and the communities that hosted him. That period shaped a conviction he has carried into every project since: the most powerful music carries the language and cultural memory of the people who make it, and an outsider's job is to listen, support, and amplify rather than direct.

Amit's practice has always crossed traditions. His A-Z Project album with Amir Paiss blends African, Latin American and Hebrew musical lineages on a single record. Music-Flows — his online intuitive music school — and its annual Bloom Retreat bring students from across the world together to study music as a shared language, and to use music as a tool for connection, healing, and emotional expression.

Through Envirotech, Amit was introduced to the Meriam Mir language revival project, and to the conviction that music is one of the most effective vehicles for intergenerational language transmission. He joins the board to support the community's work — not to lead it.

What Amit brings to the Miriam Board:

✅ Years of experience teaching music in cross-cultural settings
✅ A pedagogical approach that uses music as a tool for healing, connection and emotional expression
✅ Music-Flows course infrastructure — an online platform that can carry teaching content where and when the community finds it useful
✅ An open heart, an open mind, and a genuine desire to help and to learn alongside the Meriam community

His mission is clear: Meriam Mir belongs to the Meriam community. The board's job is to put resources, platforms and capability behind that community's work — not in front of it.

"A song is one of the strongest containers a culture has for itself." — Amit Benita

Richard Skinner is a seasoned environmental professional with over two decades of dedicated service in the sector. As a qualified lecturer, he has made substantial contributions to curriculum development and course convenorship, fostering the growth of future environmental scientists. His expertise extends to climate adaptation strategies, environmental assessments, and contamination site investigations, reflecting his commitment to addressing complex challenges such as climate change.

Iain Watt boasts an impressive 40-year career as a Marine Environmental Management Consultant and Trainer. His vast experience spans international collaborations, cementing his reputation as a global leader in marine conservation.
Iain's extensive skill set encompasses diverse areas such as project planning and management, community capacity building, biophysical survey development, coastal zone management, and climate change adaptation. He specialises in designing artificial reefs for erosion control, wetlands and mangrove regeneration, and biodiversity conservation through sustainable marine eco-tourism.

Roberto is an experienced and dedicated Marine Biologist with a strong background in hatchery operations, aquaculture and project leadership for over 12 years. He has a vast expertise and hands-on experience in marine species hatchery, management, aquaculture production, microbiology and histological work. His professional career ranges from working as Monitoring Officer, Hatchery Technician and Aquaculture Farm Manager.

Philippines. A graduate of BS Forestry from the premier University of the Philippines in Laguna, where her interest in mangrove forest started. Her career is mostly focused on coastal resource assessment, management and enhancement focusing on mangroves, coral reefs and seagrasses. She is a pioneer member of the marine mammal rescue society in Palawan and a marine wildlife Red List Assessor. Glenda completed her Master of Science in Environmental Management in 2012 and is currently completing her Ph.D. in Fisheries Management.

Maya Jacobs is a seasoned environmental activist and entrepreneur, led the Zalul Environmental Association for a decade, transforming it into a prominent force for safeguarding Israel's aquatic ecosystems. Now the CEO of Climate Net, she co-founded this NGO to drive carbon dioxide removal through awareness campaigns, policy advocacy, resource mobilization, and partnerships, fostering global climate solutions. Climate Net strives to build a foundation for change, expediting existing initiatives, sparking innovative solutions, aligning diverse sectors, and catalyzing significant advancements in climate action.

Growing up in Israel, Lee spent most of her childhood on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, dreaming of exploring the ‘big blue’ when she’ll grow up. Later in life, her deep love for the ocean brought her to travel around the world, exploring the dynamic of humans and nature. These journeys have made her realize how profoundly disconnected we are from the environment and led her to embark on a journey to explore the human impact on the oceans through marine biology studies. In her research, she focused on the destructive effects of climate change on the reproductive phenology of stony corals.

Nicki Kons is an experienced Chief Risk Officer and Program Manager for global companies. She is an Industrial engineer and has an MBA in finance. Nicki is GARP-Energy Risk Professional certified as well as PMI-PMP and RMP certified. She is a researcher and author as well as a country risk analyst. Nicki supports the integration of sustainability into everyday practices for global companies. She works with ground braking data analytics startups that hope to help navigating the way through AI and analytics.

Daria, a native of Poland, has cultivated her lifelong passion for environmental sustainability, drawing inspiration from her father, an environmental engineer specialising in the public sector's water department in Poland. In pursuit of her environmental aspirations, Daria obtained a degree in Environmental Engineering from Warsaw, Poland, and further expanded her expertise in Australia where she studied Diploma in Sustainable Operations and a Diploma in Project Management, reinforcing her commitment to sustainable practices in both daily life and business operations.

Steven Andrews, Ph.D. is passionate about teaching and delivering impactful environmental education experiences. He has a background in marine ecology, environmental education and ecopsychology. He completed his PhD in Environmental Education & Ecopsychology from Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, and his BS in Marine Conservation and Resource Studies (Marine Biology and Environmental Policy) from the University of California, Berkeley. Through direct experience, combined with technology for digital storytelling and artistic expression,.

Hailing from Cebu in the Philippines, Lyle John Cortes embarked on his academic journey at the prestigious Silliman University in Dumaguete City. His professional voyage has been marked by a diverse range of experiences that underscore his commitment to the fields of marine biology and aquaculture. Having worked as a Biologist and monitoring officer, Lyle’s proficiency was evident as he actively contributed his expertise to the tasks including management functions to observation and leveraging his extensive knowledge in reproductive biology.

Melinda de Luna is a graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a career spanning 25 years, Melinda has amassed a wealth of hands-on experience in the realm of marine and aquaculture management, holding pivotal roles as Vice-President for Farm Management and Senior Biologist. Her tenure in a private company situated in Palawan, a bastion of Sustainable Development practices for over 25 years, has afforded her invaluable insights into diverse sustainable methodologies, challenges, and their effective implementation. Melinda has assumed the role of a mentor, imparting her wealth of knowledge to numerous groups of technical experts and administrative personnel.

Nadav Shesher is a distinguished marine scientist renowned for his sensory ecology and conservation expertise. With a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland (1997), his pioneering work unravels marine animals' sensory perceptions and their significance in the underwater realm. Through diverse projects, including exploring polarized light distribution, understanding color adaptation in coral reef fish, designing artificial reefs, and deciphering dolphin communication, Shesher's research advances our comprehension of marine ecosystems and underscores the importance of their preservation.

Maya Shalem was born and raised in Kibbutz Habinim. With over 13 years of experience in communication skills, psychotherapy, mindfulness, and holistic well-being, she has worked with diverse populations, including children, adolescents, parents, educational staff, and support groups. Maya is involved in teaching, therapy, and counselling, specializing in educational development, organizational consultancy, and personal and group therapy, with a strong emphasis on community support.